Ark Sports Keel s Pull Buoy Review

Welcome to Gear Talk: The Löw Tide Böyz and Swimrun Labs review show!

In this episode of Gear Talk, the gang is back to chat about one of the best topics in Swimrun: Pull Buoys! We’re super stoked to review the newest addition to the Keel family, Ark Sports Keel s.

Before we get into that, we have some gear updates.

Gear Updates

Chris and Chipper tested the Ark Sports UTÖ suit and had nothing but positive things to say about the suit. They wore the suit at two Swimrun Shakeouts before Ödyssey’s Orcas Island and Austin races.

Chipper also raced Ödyssey Swimrun Austin in the Ark Sports VIGG. This was his first race using the suit that Chris won’t stop talking about and spoiler alert: he loved it.

Untethered Thoughts

Chris shared an untethered thought about how Swimrun reminds him of random Olympic sporting events that people within the niche really care about but that others literally do not know that they even exist.

Keel s Pull Buoy Review

The smallest in the Keel Pull Buoy line, the Keel s is described by Ark Sports as “suitable for the pool season and training, but also for those who likes a smaller pull-buoy during their swimruns.” While the size and weight is comparable to the NU Orza Pull Buoy (see our review of that pull buoy here) that is where the comparisons end. The Keel s provides much more buoyancy for the size. Best part…they are only $28.

Swimming Impressions

Chipper knew from the start that the Keel s wouldn’t be a pull buoy that he would use in the race but was perfect for pool training. Testing it in the pool with the NU Orza pull buoy, Chipper liked the thickness of the Keel s over the Orza.

Brooke found that the shape of the Keel s resulted in it being slightly slower than the Orza in testing. She also thought (and everyone agreed) that the Orza is more comfortable between the thighs than all the Keel varieties. She prefers the Orza for pool swimming.

Chris thought that the Keel s mimicked more closely what Swimrun swimming would feel like than the Orza. Performance-wise, they were pretty much the same.

Annie surprisingly really loved the Keel s after having a lot of adoration for Orza. Chipper diagnosed Annie’s reasoning: that the Keel s is shorter than the Orza and other Keel varieties. Annie would definitely use it in a race.

Transition and Running Impressions

Everyone thought the Keel s is better for running because it feels much sturdier than the Orza and easier to store during transitions. The gang also thought that the Keel s might be a good option for the thigh mount.

Pull Buoy Rankings

Chipper’s Pull Buoy Ranking

4.5 Pull Buoys. It’s a good value and has multiple applications and while he won’t be racing in it, he will be using it in the pool.

Annie’s Pull Buoy Ranking

5 Pull Buoys. She loved it and it was just right for her. She loved the price and will be using it for races.

Brooke’s Pull Buoy Ranking

4.5 Pull Buoys. For all the reasons that Annie mentioned. She docked .5 pull buoys for the girth of the bridge was a little too thick for her liking and less comfortable than the NU Orza.

Chris’s Pull Buoy Ranking

4.5 Pull Buoys. It’s a great pull buoy that checks off a lot of boxes. He thought it was slightly over-engineered in terms of shape and could have been a bit more comfortable but that didn’t take much away from its utility.

Overall Impressions

The Ark Sports Keel s is a great pull buoy for smaller and lighter Swimrunners and those that are exceptional swimmers that might not need the help of a larger pull buoy. While it doesn’t have universal applicability due to its size it’s a great pull buoy and we loved it!

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